‘Coming to school makes me very happy’: Syrian girls will see their futures destroyed by UK aid cuts

Fewer girls in school also means rises in child marriage, early pregnancy, child labour, child trafficking and exploitation, writes Jessica Adams

Due to budget cuts from donors like the UK government, Sidra’s school is one of hundreds whose future is at risk

(AFP via Getty Images)

Sidra is just like any 13-year-old girl who has passion for her own education. She loves school, and dreams of becoming a lawyer. “As soon as I get home, I do my homework, so I can come to school well prepared. Coming to school makes me very happy as I see my teachers and my friends.”

However, Sidra’s school is under threat. She lives in a tent in a displacement camp in Idlib, northwest Syria and her school is effectively just a bigger tent. She is from Hama, but left due to “bombing and shelling – all of our houses and our school got destroyed”.

At Action For Humanity, the parent charity of Syria Relief, we operate Sidra’s school. However, due to budget cuts from donors like the UK government, her school is one of hundreds whose future is at risk.